Digital Stealth Care · founding testers

Get the Alpha: a free SD image for your Pi

The hub runs climate and lights today · in real-world testing

Running now on our real-world test kit: brain and dashboard 9.10.0. Last report 22 Oct 2026, 05:24.

The hub controls climate and lights today, and DSC is being tested on real plants, in real rooms, by a small community. The new planner is in testing and controls nothing yet. It is not on general release yet. Early testers are our founding testers: you shape the roadmap, and we are honest that it is alpha. Here is the deal: we help you by sending you the alpha build, free. You help us, if you like, by answering a few optional questions while your download runs.

Alpha 9.9.1 · out now for the reference kit

You get the alpha, free

Alpha 9.9.1 is out. Sign up and we email you a personal download link. Every alpha build is free, this one included, and yours to keep. No account, no subscription, no licence check. Keep the image and you keep the software.

  • dsc-hub-9.9.1-arm64.img.xz and its .sha256 file. Raspberry Pi Imager and balenaEtcher read the .xz file directly; no need to unpack it. Flash it to a microSD card and boot.
  • A Raspberry Pi 4 with 4 GB or more. That is all you need to start (Pi 5 has not been tested yet). Use a 32 GB A1/A2 card, and Ethernet for setup.
  • Smart plugs. They switch fans, lamps, a heater and a humidifier on and off, on a schedule and from your sensors. With plugs alone, nothing takes over if the Pi stops. Don't leave a heater unattended on plugs alone.
  • The DSC hub is optional. It adds wired fan speed, lamp dimming and a hardware failsafe that keeps the room in range if the Pi stops. Zigbee dongles and pot probes add more sensors.

Files and releases are hosted on this site. Nothing needs a GitHub account. Your email is used for the download link and release notes for the alpha, nothing else.

Sign up · two fields

Get your download link

Only a name and an email. We'll ask a few optional questions while your download runs. We do not sell or share answers, and we will not add you to a mailing list.

You (name and email are all we need)

After you sign up

What happens next

01

Fill in the form

A name and an email are all we need. Every other question is optional.

02

We email you when it ships

The next alpha image is in testing. We have not set a release date and are not promising one.

03

Flash it and boot

The file is dsc-hub-9.9.1-arm64.img.xz, for a Raspberry Pi 4 (4 GB or more; Pi 5 has not been tested yet). Flash it to a microSD card and boot. Raspberry Pi Imager and balenaEtcher read the .xz file directly; no need to unpack it. The get started page lists what else to have ready.

Every alpha build is free, this one included, and yours to keep. No account, no subscription, no licence check. Keep the image and you keep the software. Your email is used for the download link and release notes for the alpha, nothing else.